Heat exchange apparatus



April 30, 1940. SPERRY 2,199,031

HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Filed March 21, 19:58

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lia /era for; lmarefjver y April '30, 1940. P. F. SPERRY I HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Filed larch 21, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 wk w April 30, 1940. SPERRY 2,199,031

' HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS,

Filed larch 21, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented 'Apr. 30, 1940 UNITED STATES HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Philmore F. Sperry, Chicago, 111., assig'nor to Excel Auto Radiator Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application March 21,

9 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in heat exchange devices arranged for supplying heat to such interior, and it is the object of the invention toprovide a new and improved form and arrangement of parts by'which effective results may be obtained by the manipulation of instrumentalities and combinations which are simple in construction and operation and which are very easily controlled for attaining the desired results.

It is the object of my invention to improve the construction and arrangement of devices of this type comprising a radiator core through which the heated cooling water from the motor of the automobile may be circulated, means for driving a stream or streams of air through the radiator core together with means for directing or con.- ducting such air after its contact with the radiator core to the point or points at which such heated air may be most efiective, and means adapted to be thrown into effective use when desired for cooling the water or other fluid in the radiator core so as to cause the air to be cooled additionally cooling the air independently of said radiator.

It is my object by this improved arrangement to make the device effective for heating the car weather, the cooling to be brought about by the use of means which can be very conveniently employed with little attention on the part of the driver of the car.

It is another object of my invention to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which I have accomplished my several objects are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and are hereinafter specifically described. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front face view of my vice. J

Fig. 2 is a side view of the device of Fig. -1 as seen from the right in said figure.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially at the line 3-3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially at the lines 4-4 of Figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially at line 55 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken at line 6-6 of P18. 5.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings,

improved deas it passes through the radiator and also for in cold weather-and for cooling the car in. hot.

1938, Serial No. 197,077

in which corr ponding parts are indicated by the same refelence characters, l0 indicates a casing formed largely of sheet metal comprising a cylindrical portion H at the bottom of the casing and a trunk shaped portion l2 at the top of the casing, the circular side walls of the cylindrical portion I I in the arrangement shown being formed integrally with the end portions of the trunk shaped portion 12. The cylindrical portion H has a'front plate l3 formed integrally therewith, such plate l3 being provided with a large central opening within which a ring I4 is rotatably mounted, such ring l4 being movably held in position in the opening through the plate l3 by means of clips l5; as is best shown in Fig. 4. The rear face of the cylindrical portion II and the rear sideportion of the upper section I2 of the casing are formed by a sheet metal plate l6, as is best shown in Fig. 4, such plate l6 being provided with an ofiset extension I! in concentric position with r'espect to the cylindrical portion II, and the offset portion l'l in turn being provided with a rearwardly offset portion ll! of still smaller size. The rear face wall IQ of the offset portion I8 is formed as an integral part of the plate l6, as is clearly shown in said Fig. 4. At its top the casing comprises a horizontally positioned plate 20 fixedly mounted in position, the front face of the extension l2 of the casing comprising a pivotally mounted door 2| which is held releasably in position by means of a snap clip 22. In the ring I! I have mounted a plurality of shutters 23 adapted by cooperative action to close the opening through the ring, such shutters being pivotally mounted in position by means of pins 24 and ears 25. Each of the shutters is provided on its front face with a handle 26 by which the shutter can be turned into oblique position so as to extend *outwardly and downwardly, the arrangement being such that the shutters are held by friction in any adjusted position to which they are turned. The ring I4 is provided with a handle 21 on its front face for enabling the operator conveniently to turn the ring as a whole for placlngthe shutters in oblique position longitudinally thereof so as to direct air toward either the right or the left as it emerges from the casing.

Withinthe casing as above described, I have mounted a radiator 28 which in the arrangement shown comprises an upper header 29 and a bot- .tom header 30 connected by a series of flattened .pipes 3 I having fins 32 of any'suitable type secured in cross position thereon. The radiator is secured in position by any suitable means, such means in the arrangement shown comprising blocks 33 of resilient material for spacing the headers in proper relation to the wall of the casing, as is best shown in Fig. 4. A pipe 34 is connected with the header 29, and a pipe 35 with the lower header 30 for feeding hot water to the radiator 28 from the radiator of the car upon which the device is mounted.

Within the rearwardly' extending offset portions 11 and i8, I have mounted fan means comprising a centrifugal fan adapted to force a stream of air througha conduit or duct as hereinafter described and a second fan connected with the centrifugal fan and adapted to drive air forwardly through the radiator core 28 and out between the shutters 23. In the arrangement shown, the centrifugal fan comprises a drum 36 formed of sheet metal mounted in position upon the shaft 31 of an electric motor 38 by means of an integral end wall 39. In the arrangement shown the motor 38 is mounted in position by means of a plate 48 which is secured by screws 4| to the plate IQ of the offset portion l8 of the casing, the motor 38 being mounted behind the plate l9, while the drum 36 is mounted in front of said plate IS. The drum 36 is provided with vanes 42 in spaced relation to each other about the drum, with openings between the vanes, the arrangement being such that upon rotation of the motor for driving the drum air is adapted to be forced outwardly away from the axis about which the drum rotates.

At its forward edge, the drum 36 is provided with a ring 43 fixedly mounted thereon and extending inwardly beyond the inner edges of the vanes 42. The ring 43 in turn. carries the outwardly extending blades 44 forming the operative instrumentalities of the fan by which air is forced directly toward the left in Fig. 4 through the radiator 28 as above described.

For collecting the air driven outwardly by the vanes 42 and for conducting it from the fan I have provided the usual conduit member 45 of substantially cylindrical form positioned eccentrically with respect to the drum 36 so as to have its wall in flared relation to the wall of the drum. At the large end of the conduit so provided, a duct 46 is provided extending tangentially with respect to the conduit, as is best shown in Fig. 3. The space between the front edge of the conduit 45 and the drum 36 is closed by a plate 45A so as to cause the conduit to be effective for directing the air outwardly through said duct 46.

For providing access of air from the body of the automobile to the interior of the casing of my device, I have provided a series of openings.

41 in the wall of the ofiset portion l1 of the casing. For closing such openings completely, or to a controlled extent, I have provided a damper member 48 having openings 49- through its wall in position to stand in registration with the openings 41, the damper member 48 being rotatably mounted in the offset portion 11. The arrangement is such that when the damper 48 is given a rotary movement in counterclockwise direction in. Fig. 3 from the position there shown the damper closes the openings 41 so as to prevent the entrance of air. Means is provided for rotating the damper 48 comprising a rack 56 mounted on the member 48 circumferentially thereof within a small auxiliary housing 5|, the rack 58 being adapted to move in a circumferential slot 52 in the wall of the offset portion 11, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3. For rotating the damper 48, I have provided a pinion 53 rotatably mounted in mesh with the rack 58, such pinion being rotated through the medium of a second pinion 54 mounted upon a shaft 55 extending forwardly through the casing, having a handle 56 mounted upon its front end outside of the casing for convenient operation of the damper. (See Fig. 5.) Means is provided for holding the damper member 48 by friction in adjusted position with respect to the casing, such means comprising a. spring 51 mounted upon a pin 58 so as to press against the face of the damper member.

Upon the rear face of the plate I6, I have provided a bracket 59 of any approved type by which the device as a whole may be mounted rigidly in position upon the dashboard or other suitable supporting means of an automobile.

Additional means is also provided for admitting air to the interior of the casing from a point outside of the car. This means comprises a nipple 68 adapted to have its outer end connected with a flexible pipe or other conduit member extending through the wall of the car body and open at its outer end, the inner end of the nipple 68 being connected with cooperating nipple means 6| communicating with the interior of the offset portion l 8 of the casing, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

At the outer end of the duct 46 by which air is conducted away from the centrifugal fan means, a fitting is mounted comprising a horizontally extending pipe section 62 which is adapted to communicate at its inner end with the duct 46 and which is designed to be connected with a defroster for keeping the windshield of the car clear of ice. As is clearly shown in Fig. 3, a flap damper 63 is pivotally mounted in position between the inner end of the pipe section 62 and the outer end of the duct 46, such damper 63 being mounted upon a horizontally disposed axis so as to enable the damper to be moved alternatively from the position as shown in solid lines in said figure to the position as shown in dotted lines. With the damper disposed downwardly as shown in solid lines-in said Fig. 3, the air from the centrifugal fan is forced upwardly into the lower end of a housing 64 which communicates at its front face with the casing portion I2 as is best shown in Fig. 6.

Means is provided for operating the flap damper 63 comprising a pinion 65 fixedly connected with the damper (see Fig. 6) and meshing with a pinion 66 carried by a shaft 61 extending forwardly through the casing, such shaft having a handle 68 mounted upon its forward end for convenient operation of said shaft. The arrangement is preferably such that the damper 63 isheld in either of its, alternative positions by friction so as to facilitate ready control of the damper; i

In the upper portion l2 of the casing, I have provided a cooling unit which in the arrangement shown is in the form of a closed tank substantially filled with a liquid having a high specific heat, that'is to say, with a liquid requiring a great deal of heat for effecting a slight temperature change. In order to make the cooling unit effective in connection with the radiator and fan as above described, I have provided a passageway through the tank for the passage of air, and have also provided for an effective transfer of heat from the cooling unit to the water in the radiator 28.

For accomplishing these purposes, I have provided an upward extension 69 of the upper header 29 at one end of the header, as shown at the right in Fig. 3 and at the left in Fig. 5. As is 75 casing is such as to permit the air to pass down best shown in Fig. 6, this upward extension 69 of the header is deeply notched at itsrear face at I0, this arrangement being provided for the.

purpose of permitting the air passing upwardly through the housing portion 64 to pass forwardly through the notch so as to have access to the passageway through the cooling unit as hereinafter described.

The cooling unit, in its preferred form as shown in the drawings, comprises a sheet metal tank ."II having a square base and a rounded top portion (see Fig. 4), such tank having a pipe 12 of sheet metal extending longitudinally therethrough, such pipe having a wall portion deeply corrugated longitudinally of the pipe, as is clearly shown in Fig. 4. The arrangement is such that the tank ll rests squarely and flatly upon the top face of the header 29 with its end face at the right in Fig. 3 snugly in. contact with the adjacent face ofthe upward extension 69 of the header. By reason of this arrangement, the water or other liquid in the radiator is cooled to a substantial extent by the cooling unit directly through the walls of the tank I I, the cooling being appreciably more effective at the end of the header at which the extension 69 is provided than at the other end, with the result that the circulation of the cold water or other liquid through the core of the radiator is substantially increased as compared with what it would be if the cooling effect were the same at both ends of the header.

In operation, when the device is being used for heating purposes, with the pipes 34 and 35 effectively connected with the radiator of the automobile upon which the device is mounted, hot water will circulate through the radiator core. With the flap valve 63 in raised position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and with the shutters 23 and the rotatable damper 48 adjusted so as to provide the desired openings for the passage of air at both the front and the rear of the casing, the motor 38 is set into operation for driving both of the fan structures causing a stream of air to be forced through the radiator core by the blades 44, such air being heated and discharged-through the shutter arrangement at the front of the casing. At the same time a stream of air is forced through the duct 46 and the pipe section 62 to the defroster or such other special part of the car with which such pipe section is connected.

When the device is to be used for cooling purposes, the pipes 34 and 35 are effectively disconnected from the radiator of the car, and the flap damper 63 is moved downwardly to its lowered position as shown in solid lines in Fig. 3. A cooling unit comprising a tank H is placed in position in the upper casing portion 12, such a cooling effect upon the stream of air beingwardly so as to enter the cylindrical portion ll of the casing, where the cooled air is brought into contact with the stream of air passing through the radiator through the influence of the blades 44. Such cooled air is caused to mingle with the forwardly directed stream so as to pass out at the front of the casing between the shutters 23. By reason of the corrugated form of the wall of .the pipe 12, such pipe is made highly efiective for causing the cooling unit to absorb the heat from the stream of air passing through the pipe.

While I prefer to employ the form of apparatus as shown in my drawings and as above described, it is to be understood that my invention is not to be limited thereto, except so far as the claims may be so limited, since it is evident that changes might well be made in the form and arrangement of the parts whereby equivalent constructions would be provided coming within the scope of my invention.

I claim: 1

1. In a heat exchange device, the combination of a radiator core, means for causing a stream of air to pass in one direction through said radiator core, other means for causing a second stream of air to pass in the opposite direction through said radiator core, a cooling unit having a passageway therethrough, and means for directing one of said streams of air through said passageway of said cooling unit and thence into the path of said other stream of air.

2. In a heat exchange device, the combination of a radiator core, a fan positioned adjacent to said core adapted to drive a stream of air longitudinally of the axis of the fan through said core, a centrifugal fan adapted to cause a second stream of air to pass through said core, a cooling unit having a passageway therethrough, and means for directing said second stream of air through said passageway of said cooling unit and thence into the path of said first named stream of air.

3. In a heat exchange device, the combination of a radiator core, means for causing a stream of air to pass in one direction through said radiator core, other means for causing a second stream of air to pass in the opposite direction through said radiator core, .a duct through which said second stream of air is forced, said duct having two openings therefrom, a valve for closing either of said openings alternatively, a cooling unit having a passageway therethrough, and means for directing the air from one of said openings in the duct through said passageway of saidcooling unit and thence into the path of said other stream of air.

4. In a heat exchange device, the combination of a radiator core, means for causing a stream of air to pass through said radiator core, a casing about said radiator core extending upwardly soas to provide a chamber above the core, a cooling unit in the form of an elongated tank located in said casing above said core and having a pipe extending through the tank and open at both ends of the tank so as to permit said stream of air to pass therethrough, and means for directing said stream of air to the opening at one end of said pipe for passage through said tank.

5. In a heat exchange device, the combination of a radiator core, means .for causing a stream of air to pass through said radiator core, a casing about said radiator core extending upwardly above the core, acooling unit in the form of an passage through said tank.

6. In a heat exchange device, the combination of a radiator core, means for causing a stream of air to pass in one direction through said radiator core, other means for causing a second stream of air to pass in the opposite direction through said radiator core, a casing about said radiator core extending upwardly so as to provide a chamber above the core, a cooling unit in the form of an elongated tank located in said casing above said core and having a pipe extending longitudinally through the tank and open at both ends of the tank so as to permit a stream of air to pass therethrough, and means for directing said second stream of air to the opening at one end of said pipe forpassage through said tank and for directing said air thence into the path of said first named stream of air.

7. In a heat exchange device, the combination of a radiator core, means for causing a stream of air to pass through said radiator core, other means for causing a second stream of air to pass in the opposite direction through said radiator core, a casing providing a chamber above said core, a cooling unit in the form of an elongated tank located in said casing above said core and having a sheet metal pipe extending longitudinally through the tank and open at both ends so as to permit a stream of air to pass therethrough, such pipe having its wall deeply cprrugated longitudinally thereof so as to provide an extensive cooling surface, and means for directing said second stream of air to the opening at one end of the pipe for passage through said tank and for directing said air thence into the path of said first named stream of air.

8. In a heat exchange device, the combination of a radiator core comprising two headers in vertically spaced relation to each other and connected with each other by vertical pipes spaced I at intervals therealong, means for cooling one of said headers with the cooling more effective at one end than at the other so as to cause the fluid in the radiator to have a circulation through said pipes, and means for causing a stream of I air to pass through said radiator core.

9. In a heat exchange device, the combination of a radiator corecomprising two headers in vertically spaced relation, the upper header having an upwardly disposed extension at one end portion, vertically extending pipes connecting the header at intervals therealong, a casing providing a chamber above said radiator core, a cooling unit in the form of an elongated tank located in said casing closely adjacent to said upward extension of the header and having a pipe extending longitudinally through the tank and open at both ends so as to permit a stream of air to pass through the unit, said extension portion of said header being deeply notched horizontally so as to provide access for the air to said longitudinal pipe of said cooling unit, and means for causing a stream of air to pass into said casing and through said notch and said longitudinal pipe of said cooling unit and thence out of said casing.

PHIIMORE F. SPERRY. 

